Department for Transport

Heathrow Airport

Baroness Hamwee: To ask Her Majesty’s Government why they propose to designate a national policy statement on the expansion of Heathrow Airport separately from dealing with airspace policy.

Baroness Hamwee: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether it is necessary to consult on airspace policy for the UK as a whole before designating a national policy statement on Heathrow Airport.

Baroness Hamwee: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether it is possible to undertake proper consultation on a national policy statement on Heathrow Airport and on airspace policy as separate matters.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The consultations on the draft airports National Policy Statement on Heathrow Airport and on airspace policy are both matters of national importance in their own right, but are clearly related. The Government intends to bring forward the two consultations at the same time to enable the public and the aviation industry to consider all proposals together. Consulting in parallel can also enable the policy proposals set out in the airspace consultation which are adopted to be in place to influence decisions taken later on in the planning process for a proposed Northwest Runway at Heathrow. Equally, airspace is an important issue and the policy proposals cover the whole country, so it is right that we progress with policy proposals to bring improvements to the way it is handled nationwide.

Railways: Compensation

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that train operating companies offer compensation for delays and cancellations in cash rather than in vouchers.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: National Rail Conditions of Carriage were amended in July 2015, providing passengers with the right to claim compensation in cash rather than only vouchers. Passengers want to be able to claim compensation quickly and simply and that includes getting the payment in the form that suits them best. From 1 October 2016, under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, where a delay was caused by a fault of the train company, passengers are entitled to payment by the same means as the ticket was paid for unless the passenger agrees to another payment method.

Chiltern Railways

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they intend to ensure that Chiltern Railways improves its performance against the five standards as set out in the Rail Compensation – update report published by the Office of Rail and Road in December.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government expects that the information provided by train operators to passengers wishing to make a claim is easy to find, easy to understand and empowers passengers to claim. The process of claiming must be as quick and straightforward as it can be. The Government Response to the Which? Super-complaint report outlines the steps that the industry is committed to taking and the role that Government is playing in this, including through franchising. A copy of this document has been placed in the libraries of both Houses for the convenience of Noble Lords.

Air Traffic Control

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to set out a framework for airspace modernisation; and if so, when.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The framework for implementing airspace modernisation is set out in the Future Airspace Strategy which was published by the Civil Aviation Authority in 2011. Its implementation is a matter for the aviation industry. To help assist the process of airspace modernisation, the Government intends to consult on airspace policy shortly.

Ministry of Defence

Ministry of Defence: Reviews

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many reviews have been announced in Parliament by the Ministry of Defence in the last six years; how many have been completed; how many are still ongoing; and what is the timescale for completion of those reviews still ongoing.

Earl Howe: Since 1 January 2011 the Ministry of Defence has announced 11 reviews in Parliament, of which 10 have been completed and one, the Review of the Service Museums announced on 15 October 2015 (HLWS241), is due to be completed shortly.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Burma: Rohingya

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the findings on the use of violence by Myanmar security forces against Rohingya since 9 October, contained in the report from Amnesty International We are at breaking point.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We are aware of a number of recent reports by human rights organisations, including Amnesty International, indicating that the Burmese military has used violence against the Rohingya during security operations in Rakhine since 9 October. We view these reports with deep concern. I raised our concerns when I visited Burma from 9-12 November, and urged Burmese Government Ministers to establish a full and independent investigation into human rights violations.

Burma: Rohingya

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to the recommendations concerning (1) the cessation of violations of international law, and (2) the need for immediate unhindered access for human rights monitors and journalists, in northern Rakhine State, contained in the report from Amnesty International We are at breaking point.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: I have lobbied the government of Burma for an immediate resumption of humanitarian access to northern Rakhine State, and pressed for a full and independent investigation into all reports of human rights violations. The Burmese Government has committed to restore access and investigate allegations of violations. While we have seen a limited resumption of aid in some areas, in practice worrying restrictions on humanitarian access remain. Ministers from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development, as well as our Ambassador in Rangoon, continue to call on the Burmese Government and the military to restore access as a matter of urgency.

Burma: Rohingya

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to the recommendations concerning the initiation of an independent, impartial and effective investigation into alleged violations of international law in northern Rakhine State, contained in the report from Amnesty International We are at breaking point.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Government agrees there should be an independent investigation into allegations of human rights abuses perpetrated by the Burmese military during security operations in northern Rakhine State. I urged the Burmese Government to establish such an investigation when I visited Burma from 9-12 November. We note the creation of the Rakhine Investigation Commission, as well as concerns raised about its composition and impartiality. Now that the investigation is under way we call on the commission to demonstrate the commitments to impartiality made on its behalf by the Burmese Government.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Brexit

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the speech by Lord Bamford on 27 October during the debate on the domestic and international implication of Brexit (HL Deb, cols 347–8), and whether it will have any effect on their Brexit negotiating position.

Lord Bridges of Headley: We welcome all contributions to the debate over the domestic and international implications of Brexit. We want to build a national consensus to our approach to the negotiations with the EU. We need to listen and talk to as many organisations, companies and institutions as possible. That is why we are engaging with the devolved administrations and a wide range of stakeholders, including academia, industry, and civil society. As the Prime Minister has said, we need to think through the issues in a sober and considered way. We have been clear that we intend the UK to be an outward-looking and global leader of free trade.

Department for Education

Apprentices: Travellers

Baroness Whitaker: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Nash on 12 December (HL3767), how they are encouraging young people from the Gypsy and Traveller communities into apprenticeships through the Get In Go Far campaign and by other means.

Lord Nash: We are committed to ensuring that apprenticeships are as accessible as possible to all people from all backgrounds, including young people from Gypsy and Traveller communities. Apprenticeships give young people the chance to build a better future by taking their first step on the employment ladder and they give those already in work the opportunity to progress further. We are encouraging a wide range of people from all backgrounds into apprenticeships through our ‘Get In Go Far’ campaign which is aimed at 14-24 year-olds, their parents, teachers and employers. We are increasing numbers of traineeships to further support young people into apprenticeships and further work. In the apprenticeship funding policy published in October, we announced extra payments for 16-18 year olds and 19-24 year olds formerly in care or with an Education, Health and Care Plan. Employers and providers will receive a payment of £1,000 to support additional costs associated with these apprentices. We want to ensure we overcome barriers so all can access apprenticeships and support those from disadvantaged areas with over £60m of funding. Providers will receive an additional £600 for training an apprentice who lives in one of the top 10% of deprived areas (as per the Index of Multiple Deprivation), £300 for any apprentice who lives in the next 10% of deprived areas (the 11-20% range), and £200 for those in the next 7% (the 21-27% range). This will be in place for one year whilst we review our approach to supporting disadvantaged apprentices; ensuring apprenticeships provide equal opportunity to all, regardless of their circumstances.

Schools: Standards

Lord Birt: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Viscount Younger of Leckie on 20 December (HL4031), and following the Programme for International Student Assessment survey, whether they have made an assessment of the level of progress made by English schools since 2010 in closing the achievement gap with the world’s best performing countries.

Lord Nash: In 2015, fewer countries performed significantly ahead of England than in 2012. In 2012, out of 65 participating countries, 10 performed significantly ahead of England in science, 19 in mathematics and 17 reading. In 2015, out of 70 countries, nine performed significantly ahead of England in science, 19 in mathematics and 14 in reading. The average performance of 15-year-olds in England, and the UK, has remained stable in each three-year cycle since 2006. As participating countries improve or decline, the performance of the UK relative to other countries has improved in science, moving from 21st to 15st position and has remained virtually unchanged in reading and mathematics.

Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education

Baroness Massey of Darwen: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will ensure that sex and relationship education will form part of a wider programme of personal, social and health education, including skills for life and character building.

Lord Nash: We want all schools to provide young people with a broad and balanced curriculum that equips them for success in modern Britain. High quality personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education has an important role to play in this by helping young people understand the world around them, building resilience and helping them to make positive choices and stay safe. Sex education is compulsory in secondary maintained schools. The Government is clear that all schools should make provision for high quality, age-appropriate sex and relationship education (SRE) which is a vital part of preparing young people for life. The Government’s current approach is for schools to develop their own local PSHE programme to reflect the needs of their pupils. For some schools, their PSHE programme may include elements of SRE.The Secretary of State agrees that we need to look again at the case for further action on PSHE and SRE provision, as a matter of priority with particular consideration to improving quality and accessibility. We are actively considering all our options and will give a view soon.

Schools: Vocational Guidance

Lord Watson of Invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many (1) maintained schools, (2) academies, and (3) free schools, invited outside organisations to provide careers guidance and advice to their pupils in the academic years (a) 2013–14, (b) 2014–15, and (c) 2015–16.

Lord Nash: The Government does not collect data on the number of schools that invite outside organisations to provide careers advice and guidance to pupils. Schools have a duty to secure independent careers guidance on the full range of education and training options, including apprenticeships and other technical education options. Sources of independent careers guidance can include, but not be limited to, external organisations such as education and training providers, employers and careers providers. The Government’s statutory guidance on careers is clear that schools should give other providers who wish to do so the opportunity to engage with pupils, on school premises, to inform them directly about what they offer. These could include further education and sixth form colleges, studio schools, university technical colleges and employers and other providers delivering apprenticeships. The Government has established The Careers & Enterprise Company to increase the level of employer input into schools. The Company’s Enterprise Adviser Network is now live in over 1,300 of the secondary schools and colleges across the country, connecting young people with local employers to provide experiences of the workplace. Careers organisations provide another external source of advice and guidance. The statutory guidance encourages schools to consult a register of accredited careers organisations when securing access to face-to-face careers guidance.

Ministry of Justice

Reoffenders

Lord Marks of Henley-on-Thames: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many (1) men, and (2) women, are currently in prison having broken the terms of their licences on a fixed-term recall.

Lord Keen of Elie: We are unable to provide the data on the number of men and women currently in custody on fixed term recall. Whilst this information is held on individual case files, a manual exercise would be required to locate and collate this information. Such an exercise would incur disproportionate cost.

Reoffenders

Lord Marks of Henley-on-Thames: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the cost of returning people to prison following breaches of their licences during the last 12 months.

Lord Keen of Elie: The recall of offenders who are serving their sentence on licence and in the community is a preventative measure. It is instigated by the probation services only when the offender’s behaviour or non-compliance with their licence conditions suggest that they present as an increased risk of harm to the public or an increased risk of committing further offences. There has been no estimate of the cost to the various agencies of recalling offenders on licence during the last 12 months, but any such cost would have to be offset by the potential costs arising from the offender remaining in the community and committing further offences.

Prisoners' Transfers

Lord Marks of Henley-on-Thames: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many prison transfers owing to shortage of space have taken place in each month over the last 12 months in each prison in England and Wales.

Lord Keen of Elie: We are investing £1.3 billion to reform and modernise the prison estate to make it more efficient, safer and focused on supporting prisoner rehabilitation. We will build new prisons and close prisons that are in poor condition and those which do not have a long-term future in the estate. We will also simplify the organisation of the estate so prisoners are placed at the right level of security in prisons with appropriately tailored regimes. This will ensure that the supply of places providing rehabilitation and resettlement services, and those that serve the courts, are balanced with demand.Data on the number of prisoner transfers due to shortages of space is not held centrally.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Department for Culture, Media and Sport: Reviews

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many reviews have been announced in Parliament by the Department of Culture, Media and Sports in the last six years; how many have been completed; how many are still ongoing; and what is the timescale for completion of those reviews still ongoing.

Lord Ashton of Hyde: This information is not held centrally and too obtain it would incur a disproportionate cost.

European Games: Belarus

Lord Watson of Invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had, or plan to have, with the British Olympic Committee concerning the presence of UK athletes at the 2019 European Games, in the light of the human rights record of the host country, Belarus.

Lord Ashton of Hyde: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has had no such discussions with the British Olympic Association. The participation of British athletes in the 2019 European Games is ultimately a decision for the British Olympic Association and the appropriate National Governing Bodies of Sport.

Department for Work and Pensions

Department for Work and Pensions: Reviews

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many reviews have been announced in Parliament by the Department for Work and Pensions in the last six years; how many have been completed; how many are still ongoing; and what is the timescale for completion of those reviews still ongoing.

Lord Henley: There is no formal definition of “reviews”. The Department regularly reviews policies, programmes, projects and pilots to ensure that they meet their objectives. All important announcements are made to Parliament first by way of ministerial statements, replies to parliamentary questions, or in debate contributions by Ministers. The information requested is not collated centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Rural Payments Agency

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the performance of the Rural Payments Agency over the last 12 months.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Rural Payments Agency’s performance in delivering 2016 Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) payments has improved considerably compared with 2015. A record proportion of 2016 BPS applications, over 80 per cent, were received online which has enabled quicker processing of claims.By 31 December the Rural Payments Agency had paid 91.2%, or over 78,300, claims for 2016 BPS. The payments, worth just over £1.4 billion, include a range of 2016 BPS claim types and sizes, including claimants under the young farmer scheme, those inspected and farmers with common land.

Home Office

Private Rented Housing: Undocumented Migrants

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many calls they have received to their landlord helpline from landlords wanting to verify whether a tenant has the right to rent in the UK in the last year for which figures are available.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The landlord’s helpline does not verify whether a tenant has the right to rent. The helpline provides information to landlords on their responsibilities and signposts to the relevant guidance on GOV. UK.The helpline has received 7806 calls of which 7738 (99.13%) were answered from 1st July 2015 to 30th June 2016.

Private Rented Housing: Undocumented Migrants

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many tenants and landlords have been investigated by enforcement officers under the right to rent checks scheme in the last year for which figures are available.

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many landlords have been fined for housing a tenant who does not have the right to rent in the UK in the last year for which figures are available.

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many illegal immigrants have been identified as a result of the right to rent checks scheme since its inception.

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many illegal immigrants found to be residing in private rented housing have been deported since the start of the right to rent checks scheme.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: From 1 November 2015 to 31 October 2016 75 initial civil penalties were issued to individual landlords of tenants who do not have the right to rent in the UK.As with right to work checks, the Right to Rent scheme is predicated on checks being carried out by third parties (in this case landlords and lettings agents). This means that the majority of illegal migrant prospective tenants will be denied access to the private rented sector as a result of these checks with no intervention by enforcement officers and no reference to the Home Office. The sanctions set out in the Immigration Acts 2014 and 2016 in relation to the Right to Rent scheme are there to address circumstances where the scheme is not adhered to by landlords and agents.The Home Office does not hold information about the overall numbers of illegal migrants found in private rented accommodation. However our records show that between the start of the scheme and 30 September 2016, 654 individuals were either named on a Civil Penalty Referral Notice served on a landlord, or encountered on an enforcement visit during which such a Notice was served, or encountered as a result of information provided through the Landlords Checking Service, or encountered as a result of other intelligence provided about property let to illegal migrants.Of these individuals, 31 were removed from the UK over the same period. Other cases may be being progressed to removal, or have been made subject to reporting restrictions, or have sought to regularise their stay, or have left the UK voluntarily. The Right to Rent scheme is designed to restrict access to the private rented sector for illegal migrants in order to encourage voluntary departure from the UK and discourage illegal migration. The Home Office will always investigate information it receives about illegal migrants and take appropriate enforcement action according to the information available and the circumstances of the case. It is not always possible to attribute a return or other enforcement activity to the application of a sanction earlier in the case or to the route through which a particular individual was brought to the attention of the Home Office.

Fire and Rescue Services: Floods

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to make it a statutory duty for fire and rescue services to deal with flooding.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: We have no plans to make it a statutory duty for fire and rescue services to make provision to protect life and property in the event of flooding.Fire services already respond to flooding under their general duties in the Fire Services Act and Civil Contingencies Act, and in response to the risks set out in their Integrated Risk Management Plans.

Stun Guns

Lord Ouseley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what public consultation has been conducted on the potential introduction of the new X2 model of Taser firearms.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: We have now received a formal request from the police to authorise a new CED. Evaluation and assessment processes for such weapons include, where appropriate, a needs analysis, determination of operational requirement, technical evaluation, medical assessment and operational performance trials, and will take into account relevant strategic, ethical, operational and societal issues. The Home Secretary is considering this request and a decision will be made in due course

Stun Guns

Lord Ouseley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect to publish the Equality Impact Assessment on the expanded use of Taser firearms, and what assessment they have made as to whether they are disproportionately used against individuals from certain ethnic minority backgrounds.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Decisions on the deployment and resourcing of authorised conductive energy devices (CEDs) are operational matters for Chief Officers, based on their assessment of threat and risk.The use of these sensitive powers warrants proper accountability and transparency. That is why the previous Home Secretary welcomed recommendations made by former CC David Shaw on the future collection of police use of force data, which will include the police recording the ethnicity, age, location and outcome of all serious use of force. These recommendations are currently being implemented by police forces.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Lord Harris of Haringey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much an international student applying for a visa to study in the UK would need to have available in order to demonstrate that they have sufficient funds to cover their living expenses if they were applying to study in (1) England, (2) Scotland, (3) Wales, and (4) Northern Ireland.

Lord Harris of Haringey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 11 November (HL2633), whether the amount that an international student applying for a visa to study in the UK would need to have available in order to demonstrate that they have sufficient funds to cover living expenses has changed since the replacement of maintenance grants with loans for UK home students.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: An international student studying in the UK must demonstrate that they have:• £1,265 per month for living costs if they are studying in London for the majority of their study (more than 50% of study time);• £1,015 per month for living costs if they are studying outside London, or anywhere else in the UK, for the majority of their study (more than 50% of study time).In most cases, an international student will need to show that they have money for their living costs for each month of their course, up to a maximum of nine months. The amount of funds that international students must demonstrate for living costs were raised in November 2015 in line with the combined maximum maintenance loan and grant available to English students living away from home starting courses in September 2015.

Universities: Standards

Lord Harris of Haringey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 12 December, whether they will now answer the question asked; how they define "best"; and which universities they claim to be "best".

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The immigration rules for study migration currently differentiate by types of institution. We will be shortly consulting on how we could differentiate further to support the sector.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assurances they intend to give to UK citizens' spouses and civil partners who were born in another EU member state that they will be able to remain in the UK indefinitely.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Prime Minister has been clear that she wants to protect the status of EU nationals already living in the UK, and the only circumstances in which that wouldn’t be possible is if British citizens’ rights in other EU Member States were not protected in return.

British Nationality

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 25 April (HL7517) and 4 May (HL8199), prior to 1 July 2006, how many citizenship by descent applications were denied to individuals of British Overseas Territories descent wishing to register as British Overseas Territories citizens, where the reason for the denial was that the applicant was born to an unmarried father who at the time of the applicant’s birth held British Dependent Territories citizenship and who then automatically gained full British citizenship under the British Overseas Territories Act 2002.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: I am sorry but we do not have this information. These cases are decided in individual overseas territories, and information on refusals is not readily available. To obtain these figures would require each territory to go through individual records and so would result in disproportionate cost.

Immigrants: Detainees

Lord Ramsbotham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made in introducing individual removals plans as outlined in their response to the independent review into the welfare in detention of vulnerable persons, published on 14 January.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Since the publication of the Government’s response to Stephen Shaw’s Report into the welfare in detention of vulnerable persons on 14 January, work has been ongoing to design a more effective case management process to replace the existing method of reviewing detention.

Immigrants: Detainees

Lord Ramsbotham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they intend to bring into force paragraph 11 of Schedule 10 to the Immigration Act 2016 regarding bail hearings for individuals in immigration detention.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: We are currently working with the Ministry of Justice, Her Majesty’s Court Service and the First-tier Tribunal to implement the Secretary of State’s duty to arrange consideration of bail, as set out in paragraph 11 of Schedule 10 to the Immigration Act 2016. This is just one part of a large number of changes necessary to implement the wider immigration bail provisions in Schedule 10 and will be commenced alongside those other provisions in due course.

Refugees: Syria

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people have been resettled under the Syrian vulnerable persons resettlement programme; and how many, as a number and as a percentage, came from the Christian or Yazidi communities.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Home Office is committed to publishing data in an orderly way as part of the regular quarterly Immigration Statistics, in line with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.Latest statistics published on 01 December confirmed that a total of 4,414 Syrians have been resettled under the scheme since it began, 4,162 of these arriving in the 12 months to the end of September 2016.Religious affiliation of those resettled under the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement (VPR) scheme is monitored, but not routinely reported.

Refugees: Children

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, of those child refugees who have been brought to the UK from Calais, how many fall into the age ranges of (1) under 10 years, (2) 10–12 years, (3) 13–15 years, (4) 16–18 years, (5) 19–21 years, (6) 22–24 years and (7) 25 years or over.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Home Office will publish information on the transfer of unaccompanied asylum seeking children from France in due course.

Deportation: Democratic Republic of Congo

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 15 December (HL3748), what steps they are taking to assess the safety of those removed from the UK to the Democratic Republic of Congo, once they are in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Home Office does not monitor returnees after they have returned to their country of origin.All returns to the Democratic Republic of Congo, including those persons who raise a protection claim, are considered on a case-by-case basis, taking into account their individual facts, credible and up-to-date country of origin information and relevant case law.

Refugees: Children

Baroness Massey of Darwen: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many children have been brought to the UK in 2016 under section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016 from (1) France, (2) Greece, and (3) Italy.

Baroness Massey of Darwen: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many children have been brought to the UK in 2016 under the family reunion provisions of the Dublin Regulation from (1) France, (2) Greece, and (3) Italy.

Baroness Massey of Darwen: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the capacity of local authorities to resettle child refugees; and what steps they are taking to secure that capacity.

Baroness Massey of Darwen: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many Home Office staff are working on resettlement under section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016 in (1) France, (2) Greece, and (3) Italy.

Baroness Massey of Darwen: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many Home Office staff are working on resettlement under the family reunion provisions of the Dublin Regulation in (1) France, (2) Greece, and (3) Italy.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Government has transferred more than 900 unaccompanied children to the UK this year under both the family reunification provisions of the Dublin Regulation and the terms of section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016. This includes more than 750 children from France as part of the UK’s support for the Calais camp clearance almost half of the unaccompanied children who were in the camp at the time of the clearance.We have consulted local authorities on their capacity to care for unaccompanied asylum seeking and refugee children and will publish the total number of children to be transferred under section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016 in due course.In July, the Home Office increased the funding provided to local authorities by up to 33 percent for the care and support of unaccompanied asylum seeking and refugee children. The recent operation to transfer children from Calais involved over 300 officials at home and abroad and the Government continues to work closely with partners across Europe to ensure the timely and effective operation of the Dublin Regulation. We have seconded experts to France and Greece, and we have a long standing secondee in Italy to support the work on unaccompanied asylum seeking children in Europe, including the Dublin Regulation.

Asylum: LGBT People

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 21 December (HL4183) concerning the publication of information on the number of people claiming asylum on the basis of sexual orientation, what reporting standards they have adopted; whether they have assessed that any aspects of those standards are not currently being met; and if any are not, which aspects, and why not.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Code of Practice for Official Statistics, which can be found at https://www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/publication/code-of-practice/, sets out eight principles to be followed in publishing official statistics, including ‘sound methods and quality assured’.Home Office officials continue to review the quality of the information on the number of people claiming asylum on the basis of sexual orientation, which is manually captured by caseworkers through a “special conditions flag” on the Home Office Case Information Database.

Refugees: Syria

Baroness Sheehan: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of their target to resettle 20,000 people via the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Programme, how many have been resettled in the UK to date.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Home Office is committed to publishing data in an orderly way as part of the regular quarterly Immigration Statistics, in line with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.Latest statistics published on 1 December confirmed that a total of 4,414 Syrians have been resettled under the scheme since it began, 4,162 of these arriving in the 12 months to the end of September 2016.

Refugees: Children

Baroness Sheehan: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of their commitment to resettle 3,000 unaccompanied minors from the Middle East and North Africa, how many have been resettled in the UK to date.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Vulnerable Childrens Resettlement (VCR) scheme has been designed with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to resettle ‘vulnerable children’ and their families from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.The Government has committed to resettling several hundred individuals in the first year with a view to resettling up to 3,000 individuals over the lifetime of this Parliament. Children who are identified as at risk will be resettled with their family members or carers where appropriate. The Home Office is committed to publishing data in an orderly way as part of the regular quarterly Immigration Statistics, in line with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. The figures for the VCR scheme will be published in the usual way, and will feature in future releases of the Home Office’s immigration quarterly statistics. We will not be providing a running commentary.

Asylum: Children

Baroness Sheehan: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many unaccompanied minors from the Calais camp known as the Jungle have been transferred to the UK since 2 November (1) through the Dublin III family reunification route; and (2) through provision made under section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: We have been working closely with the French authorities to bring eligible children eligible to the UK under the Dublin Regulation and the wider criteria of the Immigration Act. Since 10 October, more than 750 children have arrived.This is in line with the commitments made by the Home Secretary to Parliament on 24 October. We will publish a total number of transfers as a result of the operation in France in due course.

HM Treasury

Northern Ireland Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much money remains available to the Northern Ireland Executive to promote renewable heating schemes; and what conditions, if any, apply for accessing such funds.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Northern Ireland Executive’s budget allocation from the Treasury for renewable heat schemes has been set through to 2019-20 and is set out in the table below. Spending in relation to this allocation can only be used to support renewable heat schemes. 2016-172017-182018-192019-20£18.3m£22.3m£25.7m£28.9m Allocations for future years will be set out at future Spending Reviews in the normal way.

UK Trade with EU

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what percentage of UK gross domestic product results from exports to the EU single market.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The latest available estimates produced by the OECD show that the value added from the UK’s gross exports to the European Union accounted for 11.6 per cent of total UK value added in 2011.

UK Trade with EU

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of how many jobs in the EU are dependent on EU trade with the UK, and how many UK jobs are dependent on trade with the EU single market.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Government continues to undertake a range of analyses to inform the UK’s position for the upcoming EU exit negotiations. We are seeking the best possible arrangement for the United Kingdom and the work being conducted reflects this.

USSR: Debts

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the Soviet Union’s international debt when it collapsed in 1989, and whether they held the new Russian regime responsible for that debt at the time.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: According to the OECD, the Soviet Union’s debt was $56bn in 1989 and $65bn in 1991 when the Soviet Union was dissolved. In April 1993 Russia formally announced that it was assuming responsibility for the entire external debt of the Soviet Union.

Aviation

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to include aviation and airport connectivity in the remit of the National Infrastructure Commission.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The National Infrastructure Commission’s (NIC) remit includes all sectors of economic infrastructure, including transport (road, rail, ports and airports). The NIC will examine strategic transport infrastructure when it conducts its first National Infrastructure Assessment.

Cabinet Office

Life Expectancy

Lord Moonie: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the ranking of the UK for life expectancy of (1) men, (2) women, and (3) both groups, aged 65, amongst EU member states.

Lord Young of Cookham: The information is not held in the Government. I refer the noble Lord to the Euro Stat website below which might be of some help.http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Mortality_and_life_expectancy_statistics

Civil Servants: Minimum Wage

Lord Moonie: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many civil service employees are paid the minimum wage; and what the implementation of the National Living Wage for civil servants will cost.

Lord Young of Cookham: The Government is committed to helping the lowest paid. We are the first government to introduce a compulsory Living Wage. From 1st April 2016, the new National Living Wage was introduced for workers aged 25 and above, initially set at £7.20 per hour.The Chancellor announced a further increase to the National Living Wage in the Autumn Statement. As of 1st April 2017, the National Living Wage will be set at £7.50 per hour.The Low Pay Commission advises the Government on the rate of annual increases required to achieve a National Living Wage that will represent 60% of median earnings by 2020. The Low Pay Commission amended its recommendations this year to meet this target, based on the latest market forecasts. In light of these changes, government departments are currently reviewing the cost and number of civil servants that will benefit from future National Living Wage increases.

Department of Health

Special Hospitals

Lord Marks of Henley-on-Thames: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the average waiting time over the last 12 months for transfer for (1) male, and (2) female, prisoners who have been assessed as requiring transfer to a secure hospital.

Lord Marks of Henley-on-Thames: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many secure hospital beds are available for (1) male, and (2) female, prisoners in each region of England and Wales.

Lord O'Shaughnessy: Information on average waiting times over the last 12 months for transfer of prisoners who have been assessed as requiring transfer to a secure hospital is not held in the format requested. Information on the number of secure beds is not held in the format requested. Secure hospital beds are not specifically allocated to either prisoners or people in the community, but are allocated according to clinical need for all people who need them.